Former Indian batter Hemang Badani has been appointed as the head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. Badani will replace former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who parted ways with the franchise after seven years at the helm.
DC finished sixth in the ten-team competition last season, making it three consecutive times of missing the playoffs. Meanwhile, Badani's appointment has fans, especially the younger ones, about his prowess and numbers as a former India cricketer.
The Tamil Nadu-born batter played 4 Tests and 40 ODIs in a four-year international career from 2000 to 2004. Badani struggled in the red-ball format, averaging only 15.66 in seven innings with a highest score of 38.
However, the southpaw made a few valuable contributions in ODIs for India with a century and four half-centuries. Badani batted in the middle to lower-middle order predominantly and averaged 33.34 at a strike rate of 73.47.
His lone international century came off just 98 deliveries in the home ODI series against Australia in 2001.
Despite his mediocre numbers in international cricket, Badani was a star in the domestic circuit. The now 47-year-old scored 6,758 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 45.97 with 14 centuries in 121 outings.
Badani also excelled in List-A cricket with 4,212 runs at an average of 40.11 in 148 matches.
Did Hemang Badani ever play in the IPL?
Hemang Badani was signed by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the 2010 IPL season but did not feature in a single game. Yet, the side won their first of five IPL titles that season.
Badani was not signed by any franchise since and hence finished his career with no IPL games.
However, he has played 18 T20 outings elsewhere, scoring 335 runs at an average of 25.76 and a strike rate of 119.21.
Badani also rolled his arm with some part-time left-arm spin, resulting in three ODI wickets and 49 wickets in domestic cricket.
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